A dark week ahead at the SNCF? Unions call for strikes, management seeks reassurance
SNCF Voyageurs promises that "we are far from a black week" on the rails, despite multiple calls for strikes starting Monday. Meanwhile, the SUD-Rail union has announced "very significant disruptions," particularly for the May 8th long weekend.
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Gare de Lyon, in Paris, during an SNCF strike, February 16, 2024. JEANNE ACCORSINI/SIPA
This week is shaping up to be a complicated one for train users... But how complicated is it? For now, as negotiations that have been taking place for several weeks to avoid a strike at the SNCF have not been successful, "everyone is flexing their muscles," summarizes Fabien Villedieu, federal secretary of SUD-Rail, the leading union in the protest movement.
"We are far from a black week. There will be no week of shutdown, but a week as normal as possible," SNCF Voyageurs CEO Christophe Fanichet argued in an interview with AFP on Sunday, April 4. On the other hand, unions, like Fabien Villedieu, say that " it's looking very tough on May 9, 10, and 11. "
Although SNCF Voyageurs has not yet released a forecast for Monday, according to several union and group sources, disruptions are expected to be limited or non-existent on that day. However, the impact on traffic is expected to be much greater from Friday, May 9 and throughout the May 8 long weekend .
"Very strong disturbances"The CGT-Cheminots, the main union at the SNCF, has called on controllers and drivers to go on strike starting Monday . SUD-Rail, for its part, has decided to mobilize sales staff on Monday, i.e., those who answer the phone or greet customers in shops, which will have no impact on train traffic.
SUD-Rail also called on train maintenance workers to mobilize on Tuesday, as well as drivers on Wednesday. " There will be very significant disruptions on Wednesday ," and for the long weekend, there has been " fairly positive feedback in our direction, meaning many employees have declared themselves on strike, and therefore this will have an impact on transport plans, " Fabien Villedieu, federal secretary of the Sud-Rail union, said on RMC.
They are also called to mobilize on these dates by the influential National Collective ASCT (CNA), at the origin of the last two major strikes at the SNCF for demands specific to the public company, at Christmas 2022 and in February 2024. The movement " can have serious consequences " warns the CNA on its website . " If we are not massively in action (...) the management will be in a position of strength and will not give up! " we can also read.
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From an increase in the work bonus to a redesign of schedules for greater predictability, the various demands have not been adequately addressed, according to the unions. SNCF management has refused any increase in pay but has nevertheless promised to adapt the schedule management tool.
“Normal” trafficDespite the multiple calls for a strike, SNCF Voyageurs CEO Christophe Fanichet promised that "TGV services will be normal from Monday, May 5 to Thursday, May 8" and that they will allow " every customer to travel to their destination on the scheduled day" if cancellations occur on May 9, 10, and 11 due to the ticket inspectors' strike.
In addition to promising to transport everyone by train, Christophe Fanichet has pledged that "all customers will be notified before leaving." " From now on, all tickets are exchangeable, refundable, and free of charge," on both TGV Inoui and Ouigo trains, for the week of May 5 to 11, the CEO of SNCF Voyageurs also announced.
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